Fund of trust

Ask Singh to cite one aspect of Irrfan’s personality that he most urgently wanted to convey through his writing, and he says without hesitation: “Irrfan was unafraid. He was ready to take any risk in life and in his performances.there was no shadow he would hesitate to go into as an actor if he trusted you. He realised that we are a multiplicity of personas. Even though we might decide to live as just one persona, he was very curious about the others. So for him every role was an endeavour to see these other aspects of himself. He would not limit himself in any way.”

“FOR IRRFAN, BOTH LIFE AND PERFORMANCE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH RHYTHM AND HE WORKED VERY HARD TO FIND THE RIGHT RHYTHM” —ANUP SINGH, FILMMAKER

Singh characterises his relationship with Irrfan as a slow build-up of trust. Initially, Irrfan had refused to do Qissa because he thought it was too dark. Singh narrates, “I knew he had a great passion for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan saab, the qawwali singer. So I said, ‘Janaab (which is how I addressed Irrfan), when Nusrat saab sings, his face may sometimes be contorted in a very aggressive way… but what comes out of him is one of the most sublime sounds’.” Irrfan immediately agreed to do the film.

The two started on a note of suspicion but what brought them together, Anup says, “Was our shared belief completely that, like Nusrat saab, we would improvise with a given text, and go beyond not just our own expectations but also the predeterminations of character and story.”

The author-director declares, “This brought us to an exceptional, very intimate friendship where we could completely trust each other.”

Anup shares many instances of Irrfan’s concern. “I had a bad confrontation once with my producer on Qissa and I was disturbed by it but tried to keep a jovial front with my actors. Somehow Irrfan grasped my state of mind. After we finished shooting at around midnight, he knocked at my door. He had brought his music system and he spent the whole night just playing music for me. That was his spirit. He was ready to bring to you the fullness of himself.”

{ Bedside stories }

Which is the one must-have on your bedside table?

My phone charger and a bottle of water. My phone and I are both on ‘D o not disturb’ mode at night.

What do you wear to bed?

My favourite night suit is a loose T-shirt and a pyjama—the most comfortable outfit ever.

Do you believe in power naps?

During shoots and other taxing days, an hour-long power nap recharges me.

Irrfan Khan in (top); Anup and Irrfan (above) were planning to collaborate on five to six more films